Improvement in electric candles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILL-IAM E. sAwYEE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

IIMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC CANDLES..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,500, dated August21, 1877; application filed June 22, 1877.

To alt fwhom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM EDWARD SAWYEB, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inElectric Candles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention consists in an arrangement and combination of parts wherebyI am enabled to place a considerable number of electric candles in asingle circuit, and to dispense with the use of the carbon pointsordinarily employed in electric lights. I cause the electric current toheat to incandescence a platina wire or wires, by the bearing of whichagainst, preferably, white refractory substances, such as clays, lime,&c., the heat is transferred to those substances, and a soft glowinglight results. I do not, however, limit myself to the employment ofplatina wire, or to the heating of any particular substance.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a sectional view, and Fig. 2 a top View, of the candle. Y

A is a non-conducting, or preferably nonconducting, base, which may beconstructed or attached to brackets, Sac., of any orna mental form. Thecandle may be put up in the manner common to table-lamps, or attached tothe walls of a room, or suspended from the ceiling, with the lightdownward, as desired. To the base A are fixed two conductors ofelectricity, B B, between which and the base are interposednon-conductors of heat fj'. Around and under the heads of the screws a.,by which the conductors B are fastened to the base, are also placednon-conductors of heat j'. Across the ends of the conductors B B, at B'B', are stretched platina wires t of requisite neness, preferably, asshown, in parallel lines, close together. To the pieces B B are xedbinding-posts h h, in which the battery-wires are held.4 Sliding in ahole through the base A is a tube, b, in which, protected byanon-conductor of heat, f, is held a stick of clay or lime,'G, ashereinbefore mentioned, which, by the action of a spiral spring, c, isforced against the wires i. The button d, working on pivot e,

keeps the spring in place, and, when thrown ofi', allows the spring,tube, and stick to be removed.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the electric current traversingthe conductors B B and wires i heats the latter to a degreecorresponding to the strength of current, and, as

the stick of clay or lime is forced to a constant bearing upon thewires, light is produced corresponding in intensity to the strength ofcurrent.

By my invention the cost of illumination by electricity is reduced to aminimum, and almost any number of candles may be placed in the circuiteither of a galvanic battery or a magneto electric generator.

It is clear that l may combine the candle of my invention with any ofthe Well-known devices for securing reflection or diffusion of thelight. Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The method of obtaining an electric light, consisting' in heating arefractory substance by bringing it in contact with a heated conductorof electricity.

2. `An electric candle, in which a conductor of electricity, heated toany desired degree of intensity, renders luminous a non-conductingsubstance in contact therewith, as set forth.

3. An electric candle, in which the circuit l producing the light isentirely metallic, in combination with a substance which is renderedluminous by heating. l

4. An electric candle, in which the light is produced by the directaction of the electrie current upon its conductor, in combination with aclay, lime, or other refractory substance, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In an electric candle, the combination, with a refractory substance,rendered luminous by heat, of apparatus for forcing the same to aconstant bearing againsta heated conductor, substantially as shown anddescribed.

WILLIAM EDWARD SAWYER.

Witnesses:

JAMES G. SMITH, Jos. CoLLETT.

